


After Hours

by Origamidragons



Category: Akira (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Everybody Lives, Gen, Humor, Slice of Life, au where nothing goes to shit i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-16 14:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20838773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Origamidragons/pseuds/Origamidragons
Summary: The good news is, they don't have to break a window to get in.





	After Hours

The good news is, they don't have to break a window to get in.

Yamagata, as the tallest, climbs up through the busted-in window frame first, easily levering himself into the building before reaching back to give Kaneda a hand up. Then, between the two of them, Kai and Tetsuo are hauled in as well.

The dusty shards of a broken beer bottle crunch under Tetsuo’s feet as he slides from the windowsill down to the floor of the hallway, and then they’re in the school. It’s dark, the only light the faint glow of the moon outside, filtered through layers of yellowish smog.

“We’re in,” Kaneda says, unnecessarily.

It’s impossible to tell in the darkness, but Tetsuo might roll his eyes.

“Right,” Kai says, and then pauses. “What are we doing here again?”

Kaneda shoots him a sideways look. “I told you the plan earlier, man.”

Kai shrugs. “I heard ‘break into’ and ‘school’ and I was in. After that I kinda zoned out.”

“Same,” Yamagata admits, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Kaneda puts his head in his hands for a moment and groans before straightening again, swinging around to face his three co-conspirators. “Fine. I’ll go over it _again_, since none of you remember what I told you _less than two hours ago._”

“I remembered,” Tetsuo mutters.

“See, Tetsuo is a better friend than both of you knuckleheads,” Kaneda says. “So, okay. Earlier today, Kei-”

Kai groans. “Oh, it’s for _Kei_. That explains why I tuned out.”

Kaneda immediately glares at him, balling up a fist defensively at his side. “Hey, you got a problem with Kei?”

Yamagata grabs his elbow with a restraining hand, holding his arm in place. “Nah, man, chill. None of us have a problem with Kei. She’s cool. The problem is that you’re, uh-”

“Kiiiiind of obsessed,” Kai offers.

Yamagata nods solemnly. “Yeah, dude. She started here, what, a week ago?” he says, hands stuffed in his pockets. “And then you guys snuck out of detention _once_ and ever since then it’s been ‘Kei, Kei, Kei’ _constantly_.”

“I’m not obsessed!” Kaneda complains.

“Right,” Tetsuo mutters. “Which is why we’re breaking back into school at one in the morning to steal her bracelet back.”

Kaneda shoots him a betrayed look. “Come on, man, I thought you were on board.”

Tetsuo shrugs slightly. “I am. I’m just saying.”

“Hang on, this is for a _bracelet_?” Kai asks.

“Yeah,” Kaneda says defensively. “It was her grandma’s, and it got confiscated by a teacher earlier today. She really wants it back.”

“Why’d it get confiscated?” Yamagata asks, eyebrows crinkling in confusion.

Kaneda rubs the back of his neck. “Uh… she got in a fight with the kid sitting next to her, so she pulled it off and wrapped it around her hand to use as brass knuckles.”

Yamagata whistles.

“God, she’s cool,” Kai mutters. “Okay, yeah, fine, we can get her stupid bracelet.”

Kaneda tosses his hands up in irritation. “Finally! You remember we already broke in, right?”

“‘Broke in’ is generous,” Tetsuo says, glancing over his shoulder at the empty window frame. No pane of glass has ever survived longer than two weeks in the Youth Vocational Training School. “We walked in.”

“_Anyways_,” Kaneda says, “let’s go.”

“Right!” Yamagata agrees amicably, and the four of them set off down the shadowed hallway.

The school is empty, dark, and dead quiet. The neon graffiti on the walls that hasn’t yet been painted over is vivid as a burn against the surrounding shadows. Here and there, lockers have been wrenched halfway off their hinges by school officials searching for contraband.

“You know,” Kaneda says, “I bet we’re the first people to ever do this.”

“Do what?” Yamagata asks.

“Break into school after dark,” Kaneda says, and kicks a piece of plaster that’s fallen from the ceiling to emphasize the point. It bounces away into the shadows of the hallway and vanishes from view. “Who’d want to spend any more time in this shithole than absolutely necessary?”

“Us, apparently,” Kai says.

“Yeah, but we’re stupid,” Kaneda says.

“Speak for yourself,” Tetsuo mutters.

“_Hey_.”

They settle into silence for a while, making it to the end of the hallway where it forks into a T, before Tetsuo speaks again.

“So,” he says, “which teacher was it, anyways?”

Kaneda opens his mouth to answer. Then he closes it again.

“Oh, man,” Kai says. “Seriously?”

“Shut up, I’m thinking,” Kaneda says.

“Dude.”

“I said shut up.”

“_Dude_.”

“Shut the _fuck_ up, just give me a second, I’ll remember it, okay?”

“You better,” Tetsuo mutters. “Not like we can check every single teacher’s desk.”

“I mean, we _could_,” Kai says. “But I don't wanna.”

“It was… ugh. It started with a ‘T.’ And the argument was about politics so it was probably like… history class? Or civics?” Kaneda tries.

Yamagata shakes his head. “Sorry, dude, I don’t think I’ve ever stayed awake through a single civics class.”

“Same,” Kai says with a nod. “So I don’t know if-”

“Takabayashi-sensei,” Tetsuo says flatly.

Kaneda lights up and slaps him on the back. “That’s it! You’re a lifesaver, man. Dunno what I’d do without you. And, uh, his office is… where…?”

Tetsuo rolls his eyes, hard. “Third floor. East wing.”

“A _lifesaver_,” Kaneda repeats, turning towards the darkened staircase to their right and gesturing for the others to follow him. “Alright, let’s go, assholes.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was my (winning!!! :D ) entry for the AKIRA: EXPLODE Discord's September writing contest! The prompt was 'school.' I guess this is an AU where nothing ever goes wrong and Kei transfers to the Capsules' school? Not sure, but in any case it was extremely fun to write.


End file.
